Franz Ferdinand and Red Hot Chili Peppers voiced support for the jailed members of Pussy Riot during concerts in Moscow this weekend. The bands condemned the imprisonment of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Maria Alekhina, who were arrested in March for performing an anti-Putin "punk prayer" at Christ the Saviour cathedral.

"This is for the girls in Pussy Riot," Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos told the crowd at Sunday's Afisha Picnic, introducing the song This Fire. "[It] is dedicated to all of those musicians that end up in jail for just saying what they think." He expanded his remarks over Twitter, calling Vladimir Putin a "dangerous … hypocrite" for jailing critics while still claiming "to be a fan of John Lennon".

A Russian nationalist later confronted the singer on Twitter, referring to Pussy Riot as "provocateurs … [who] mock our traditions". "Russia's traditions are strong and you should be proud of them," Kapranos replied. "[But] when you're strong it [should mean] nothing if someone mocks you."

The Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis and Flea also spoke out on Sunday, during their gig at Moscow's Luzniky Stadium. Kiedis wore a Pussy Riot T-shirt, and both musicians presented letters to Pyotr Verzilov, Tolokonnikova's husband. "Nadya and Katya and Masha, we love you, we love to support you and are here to help you," Kiedis reportedly wrote. Flea hailed their "bravery", adding, "I pray for your release."

Before the three women's imprisonment, Pussy Riot had been known for their pop-up punk-rock protest gigs, appearing in spandex and ski masks in Red Square, and at several luxury events. But officials lashed out after the band's performance at Christ the Saviour cathedral, Moscow's principal Russian Orthodox church. Tolokonnikova, 23, Alekhina, 24, and Samutsevich, 29, have been charged with "hooliganism on the grounds of religious hatred", with a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. This week the women were again denied bail and could remain behind bars, with or without a trial, until January. Amnesty International has campaigned for Pussy Riot's release, calling them prisoners of conscience, while church representatives have been vocal in their condemnation of the musicians. "This sin will be punished in this life and the next," spokesman Vsevolod Chaplin said last month.